Voice of the Earth and Space Science Community

Definition of undergraduate research — “An inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student with a faculty mentor that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline.” — Council on Undergraduate Research

On Monday morning, the Geoscience Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) ran a half-day workshop for graduate students, post-docs, and early career faculty that focused on some of the best practices for engaging students in undergraduate research. The workshop addressed working with students in their first two years, embedding research experiences in courses, using research instrumentation and accessing data sets remotely, overseeing independent study projects and senior theses, and funding opportunities. And speaking of working with freshmen and sophomores, right after the GeoCUR workshop, a lunchtime discussion continued with exploring models and approaches to Undergraduate Research With Students at Two-Year Colleges. The energy and enthusiasm was contagious in the room, with such innovative examples being shared from getting 2YC students in the field to having them work in collaboration with government scientists and laboratories (for additional information, see the NAGT SAGE 2YC website). It is exciting for me to see and hear that faculty are providing significant and varied inquiry-based learning opportunities for students across institutions and class year.

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About Laura

Laura Guertin is a Professor of Earth Science at Penn State Brandywine in Media, PA. Her research focuses on how technology can enhance teaching and student learning in introductory-level geoscience courses for non-science majors. Her blog focuses on geoscience education/outreach, science communication, and technology tools in the classroom, online, and in the field.